from left to right, top to bottom:@camu_the_casanova, @milkshakitten, @killiscat,@bostonandzoe, @aya_and_ghost, @onebigfurryfamilyy,@sunnythesiberiancat, @danniyiu, @mr_fluffybuns

Cat Instagram. As of this posting, there are over 114 million posts tagged #cat, hundreds of articles and blog posts on the best Instagram cats, and feline Instagram stars like Nala, who has 3.4 million followers. And how wonderful this is for those of us who love using the Internet to admire cats. So many stunning felines to ooh and ahh over!

But.

As someone who spends quite a bit of time in the land of Cat Instagram, I regret to report that most of the pictures are lackluster. The photography leaves much to be desired and many of the popular accounts hinge on the cat’s unique physicality alone or gimmicks, such as the dressing up of said cats or the inclusion of I-can-has-cheezburger-esque captions. Whatever happened to maintaining a cat’s dignity, you find yourself asking.

There is hope, however, and to find it, we must look to the photographers who respect their models, who post beautiful, interesting, and varied pictures of the cats they present to the Instagram world. This is the first of a blog series dedicated to these shutterbugs. Here, I share with you nine Instagram accounts, each featuring stunning cat photography. I chose to look only at accounts with fewer than 10,000 followers, an arbitrary number that, to me, feels like a tipping point.

A stunning cat alone doth not a great Instagram make. The photographer determines the quality of an Instagram feed, and in the hands of the right person, a Cat Instagram can change the world. Or at least really brighten your day.

A newer member of the Cat Instagram community, Camu is a 4-month-old Russian Blue residing in Helsinki. Camu’s photographer captures him indoors and out and also photographs Camu’s roommate Leo (@bengal_boy_leo).

Boston and Zoe are two Birmans living near Munich with their photographer, the illustrator and graphic designer Barbara von Tannenberg. Boston is a 2008 rescue from Spain while Zoe was adopted in 2010.

This furry family consists of eight rescued cats: Cuddle, Snowball, Mango, Pepper, Maximus, MeekoChan (pictured above), Alexander, and Bub. There are also two dogs, Leonardo and Turtle, who occasionally make an appearance. Their photographer captures them solo and in groups.

Mr Fluffybuns and his photographer Instagram from the Netherlands, where this handsome ginger was adopted from an animal shelter. He appears to reside with his two humans and another feline, who occasionally appear with him in his photos.

Aya and Ghost reside in London, and neither is quite a year and a half old yet. They appear to be the best of friends, and their photographer often captures them together. Aya is the beautiful yawner while Ghost often gazes intensely toward the camera.

Milkshake is one year old and lives in Scotland. She loves tuna. Her photographer captures her throughout the house, from playing the piano to lying in the bathroom sink to pawing at the star on top of the Christmas tree.